l holden



No. 622,047. v Paf'ented Mar. 28 I899. H. C. L. HOLDEN.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(Application filed Dec. 28, 1897.) (No Model.) 4 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES: INViNTOR Y ATTORN EYS No. 622,047, Patented Mar. 28, I899.-H. c. L. HOLDEN. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

(A umion filed Dec. 28, 1897.) (No Model.) 2. Sheets-18M 2.

VENTOR izflgy, BY

ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

NIIE TATES HENRY OAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,047, dated March28, 1899.

Application filed December 28, 1897. Serial No. 664,146. (No model.)

To aZZ whom zt may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY OAPEL LOFFT HOLDEN, a citizen of GreatBritain, residing at The Eaves, Belvedere, and of Royal Arse--internal-combustion engines, the working,

piston or pistons of which are actuated by the explosion of a mixture ofvolatilized or gaseous hydrocarbons and air in suitable proportions.

My invention has reference particularly to such engines of the abovedescription as are used and can be employed for propelling carriages,cycles, and boats.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the main partof an engine provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a part elevationand part section of one of the cylinders. Fig. 3 is an elevation ofapart of one of the end pieces, showing the arrangement forsimultaneously opening the exhaust* valves; and Fig. 4 is a planview ofthe same.

The reference-letters in each figure refer to the same or correspondingparts in the other figures.

The engine is constructed of two metallic tubes A A, which may bewater-jacketed or not, as necessary or desired. Such tubes arepreferably constructed of steel, though I do not desire to limit myselfto that material, and are of suitable mechanical strength for thestresses to which they will be subjected in working. Each of the tubes AA forms a working cylinder, so that each tube comprises two workingcylinders, and thus the two tubes A A together comprise four workingcylinders.

In each of the tubes A A are two pistons, one at each end of each tube,one of these pistons being shown at N in the section'part of Fig. 2. Thepiston N is rigidly connected to another similar piston, similarlysituated at the other end of the tube, by the piston-rod D, which rodhas a hole S through the cent-er of its length at right angles to theaxis, and through this hole the-cross-head bar G passes. This cross-headbar G also passes through the piston-rod, connecting the two pistons inthe other tube. Thus the two systems of pistons, one in each of thetubes A A, are moved simultaneously, being connected together by theaforesaid cross-head bar G.

In order that the cross-head bar G may move backward and forward in thetubesA A, a slot E is cut in each side of each of the tubes A A and isof the same width as the diameter of the cross-head bar G. The slots Eare opposite and parallel to one another and of suitable length for theworking stroke of the engine. The cross-head bar G passes through all ofthe slots, and the latter act as a guide for the movement of thecross-head bar.

To the outer ends of the cross-head bar G, which ends project beyond thetubes A A on either side are attached by bearing-sleeves the twoconnecting-rods Q Q, which are attached to the crank or cranks of themain shaft of the engine in the usual manner and for the usual purposeof rotatin g it.

In order to exclude dust or foreign sub stances from the tubes A A,which form the working cylinders, segments of tube F may be arranged soas to cover the slots E E and to work backward and forward with thecrosshead-bar G, which passes through them. The segments F F may be usedto protect all of the slots E E or only the two outside ones, as shownin Fig. 1.

The outer ends of the tubes A Aare closed by suitably-shaped blocks ofmetal 13 B, in

which are situated the inlet-valves I and the exhaust-valve H. The endsof the tubes A A are bedded in the blocks B B in such a manner as toobtain a suitable joint to withstand the pressure caused by theexplosion, and the aforesaid ends may be screwed or shrunk intorecessesin the blocks or may be, as shown in the drawings, held in position bytwo or more tie-rods G O, passing through holes in the blocks andholding the whole system of tubes and blocks firmly together.

In Fig. 2 is shown a section through a part of the block ]3,illustrating one of the four sets of exhaust and admission valves. Theexhaust-valve H is normally kept closed by the action of the spring P,except at such times as the valve is forced downward and off its seatingby the pressure of the arm J, which arm is itself actuated in a mannerto be hereinafter described. By the opening of the valve II the wastegases after the explosion and working stroke are allowed to escape fromthe working cylinder into the passage It and thence to the external air.

The inlet-valve I is situated opposite the exhaust-valve II. It is heldnormally closed by the action of gravity or by means of a light spring,as is the usual custom, or by the combined action of gravity and aspring. The valve I is lifted by the partial vacuum produced by themovement of the piston N on its forward stroke, and the vacuum soproduced draws in the necessary explosive mixture from the source ofsupply through the passage 0, which is connected to the source of supplyby means of pipes in the usual manner. On the return of the piston N thevalve I is closed and the explosive mixture compressed into the space inthe tube A behind the piston N and between the piston N and the blockI3. As the piston moves forward again the compressed mixture is fired byone or other of the well-known electrical or mechanical means in commonuse for this purpose, such as the electric spark, heated tube, or wire.These firing devices are well known and do not form a part of myinvention. I consequently do not describe them in detail or illustratethem in the drawings, but employ them in connection with my invention asmaybe most suited for the purpose in hand.

The levers or arms J J are mounted on short shafts or arbors journaledin the blocks B B, and they carry also pieces K K, which enlbrace andare actuated by cams or eccentrics L L, mounted on a shaft M in such amanner that when said shaft is rotated the ends of the levers or arms JJ are raised and depressed, thereby actuating the exhaust-valves II II.The shaft M is journaled in the end blocks 13 B and is carried beyondone of them in the direction of the crank-shaft, to which it is attachedby means of intermediate mechanism, comprising gear-wheels or equivalentdevices, in such a manner that itsangular velocity is only one-half thatof the crankshaft actuated by the connecting-rod Q, Q. The rotation ofthe shaft M by the crankshaft of the engine at only one-half the angularvelocity of the latter thus causes the exhaust-valves II II to be openedin the proper succession and at the right moment.

The engine works on the Otto or four-cycle principle, which is wellknown, and since the four cylinders work in succession to one anotherthen it follows that the cross-head bar G and through it theconnecting-rods Q Q are continuously acted upon by a working stroke ineither direction.

In some of the applications of my inventionfor instance, when it is usedfor propelling cycles-it is desirable to have some means not only toprevent the explosive mixture from entering the cylinders, but also toprevent the air which is drawn into the cylinders from being compressed,and thereby causing an increased resistance in propelling the cycle. Thearrangement I adopt for the purpose just stated is shown in Figs. 3 and4. To effect this, a small shaft V is arranged parallel to and above theshaft M and is also journaled in the end pieces B B. This shaft WVcarries at either end two cam-pieces V, which lie between the verticalarms of two L-shaped levers T and U. The vertical arms are pulled towardeach other by a spring X. These lever-arms T and U are pivoted on andare free to revolve around the same arbor as the lever J is fixed to,and as the horizontal arms of both levers T and U are interposed betweenthe lever J and the spindles of the valves II II it follows that whenthe lever J rocks under the action of the shaft M, as before described,it will depress the arms of the levers T and U and through them thevalves H H.

It will be understood that if the shaft \V be turned through onequarter-turn, or ninety degrees from the position shown in the drawings,the vertical arms of the levers T and U will be forced outward andthe horizontal arms downward, so that they depress the exhaust-valves,thereby allowingafree passage to the air both into and out of thecylinders.

It will be understood that while the im provements set forth in theclaims have been described as embodied in precise forms I contemplatesuch changes in the arrangement and construction of the parts as may benecessary for the best application of my improved engine to the purposein View whether it be a carriage, a cycle, or a boat that is to bepropelled, and I therefore reserve the right to all such variations andmodifications as properly fall within the spirit and scope of myinvention and improvements.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. An internal-combustion engine of the classdescribed, comprising four tubes arranged in pairs and provided withslots in their opposite sides, two pistons mounted in each of said tubesand connected by pistonrods, means for connecting said piston-rodsconsisting of a cross-head bar passing through the piston-rods andthrough said slots, end blocks by which the ends of said tubes areclosed, said blocks being provided with ports or passages and valves forcontrolling the same, and levers or arms J adapted to actuate saidvalves, said levers or arms being journaled upon a shaft 01' arbor whichis provided with dogs, and a main shaft mounted parallel with said tubesand provided with cams which operate in connection with said dogs, andauxiliary devices for controlling said valves, comprising L-shapedlevers '1,

U, pivotally mounted upon the same shafts as said levers J, and havingarms interposed between said levers J, and the stems of said valves, andarms separated by cams mounted on a shaft parallel to said main shaft,and means straining said cam-separated arms toward each other andmounted thereon, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. In an internal-combustion engine of the class described, thecombination, with the projecting valve mechanism, of the arms or leversJ carried upon a rock-shaft and adapted to actuate said valve mechanism,means for operating said rock-shaft, the L-shaped levers T and Uarranged with respect to the arms or levers J, and the shaft W carryingcam-pieces adapted to operate with respect to the L-shaped levers,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an internal-combustion engine of the class described, thecombination, of the projecting valve mechanism, the L-shaped levers Tand U, and the shaft WV carrying the campieces adapted to operate saidlevers, substan- I tially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. I11 an internal-combustion engine of the class described, thecombination of the projecting valve mechanism, the arms or levers Jarranged upon rock-shafts provided with pieces or dogs, the shaft Mcarrying cams or eccentrics adapted to engage said pieces or dogs, theL-shaped levers T and U mounted upon the same shaft as the arms orlevers J, and with respect to the latter, and the shaft WV carrying armsadapted to engage said L,- shaped levers, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In an engine of the character described, comprising two or more tubeseach having pistons mounted therein connected by pistonrods, and blocksclosing the ends of the tubes, valves in said end blocks and valvemechanism controlling said valves, and comprising levers J mounted onarbors journaled in said end blocks and bearing cams or dogs, a shaftmounted parallel with said tubes and also bearing cams or dogs engagingtherewith, and

supplemental L-shaped levers T, U, pivotally mounted upon the samearbors as said levers J, and bearing-arms interposed between said leversJ and the stems of the valves and arms separated by cams journaled upona shaft U journaled in said end blocks, and means connected with saidcam-separated arms and straining them toward each other, substantiallyas shown and described.

6. In an engine of the character described, exhaust-ports communicatingwith the cylinders and valves adapted to close and open the same andcontrolled by lever-arms mounted in arbors bearing cams operating inconnec= tion with cams on a shaft geared to the crank shaft of theengine, and supplemental L-' shaped arms pivotally mounted on said arbors, and having arms interposed between the valve-stems and saidfirst-mentioned lever arms, and arms separated by cams mount ed onanother shaft and means connected with said last-mentioned armsstraining them to Ward each other, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in pres ence of the subscribing witnesses, this 3d day ofDecember, 1897.

HENRY CAPEL LOFF'I mm Witnesses:

L. H. WEST, E. S. COOPER.

